A new bill authored by State Sen. Zaffirini in the Texas Senate seeks to clarify rules on evidence and liability in civil actions involving commercial motor vehicles, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on Crimes category, introduced as SB 39 during the 89(1) legislative session on Tuesday, July 22, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to creating the criminal offenses of marketing or packaging of consumable hemp products in a manner attractive to minors and misleading consumable hemp packaging’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends sections of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to clarify the admissibility of evidence and liability in civil actions involving commercial motor vehicles. In cases where a commercial motor vehicle owner or operator is a defendant, evidence of non-compliance with regulations or standards is admissible only if it is also admissible under other laws and proves proximate cause of injury or death. The bill stipulates that an employer’s liability for the negligence of an employee operating a company vehicle is based on respondeat superior if the employer confirms the employee was acting within the scope of employment at the time of the incident. It also limits evidence presentation against the employer in the initial phase of a bifurcated trial, except as allowed by other laws. Sections concerning alternative liability rules are repealed. The bill is effective on Sept. 1, 2025, and affects actions beginning or in significant trial progress after this date.
Judith Zaffirini, the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, proposed another six bills during the 89(1) legislative session. She is also a member of the Senate Committee on Business & Commerce, a member of the Senate Committee on Committee of the Whole Senate, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, and a member of the Senate Committee on State Affairs.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(1) | SB 40 | 07/22/2025 | Relating to a study on digital court reporting conducted by the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System |
| 89(1) | SB 35 | 07/21/2025 | Relating to flood safety requirements for youth camps located near rivers, creeks, and streams |
| 89(1) | SB 30 | 07/18/2025 | Relating to excess contributions and fees allocated to statutory probate courts |
| 89(1) | SB 29 | 07/18/2025 | Relating to court security, including the development of a court emergency management plan, the duties and composition of a court security committee, and increasing the criminal penalty for harassment of a court employee or judge |
| 89(1) | SB 27 | 07/16/2025 | Relating to the jurisdiction of the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law and the composition of the juvenile boards of Bee, Live Oak, and McMullen Counties |
| 89(1) | SB 24 | 07/16/2025 | Relating to the amount in controversy in the civil jurisdiction of statutory county courts |
| 89(R) | SB 3054 | 04/22/2025 | Relating to the powers, duties, and governance of the Starr County Drainage District, changing the name of the Starr County Drainage District to the Starr County Drainage and Groundwater Conservation District, and the dissolution and transfer of the Starr County Groundwater Conservation District to the Starr County Drainage and Groundwater Conservation District; authorizing the imposition of a tax |
| 89(R) | SB 3047 | 04/14/2025 | Relating to the creation of certain municipal management districts; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes; granting a limited power of eminent domain |
| 89(R) | SB 3037 | 04/02/2025 | Relating to the creation of La Cima Municipal Management District No. 1; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes; granting a limited power of eminent domain |
| 89(R) | SB 3033 | 03/27/2025 | Relating to the boundaries of, and validating certain acts and proceedings of, the Creedmoor Municipal Utility District |
| 89(R) | SB 3030 | 03/19/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Travis County Municipal Utility District No. 40; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| 89(R) | SB 2926 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the transition of certain veterans’ mental health initiatives from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to the Texas Veterans Commission |
| 89(R) | SB 2903 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to supporting vouchers and other documents attached to annual accounts filed by guardians of the estate |
| 89(R) | SB 2902 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the collection of consumer debt incurred by certain individuals as a result of identity theft |
| 89(R) | SB 2901 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the appointment and salary of bailiffs appointed by certain district courts in Webb County |
| 89(R) | SB 2838 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the regulation of used automotive parts recycling, including requirements pertaining to vehicle titles |
| 89(R) | SB 2837 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the state law enforcement authority of federal National Park Service law enforcement officers |
| 89(R) | SB 2593 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the authority of a county that borders the United Mexican States to regulate residential land use; creating a criminal offense |
| 89(R) | SB 2592 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to county purchasing agents in certain counties |
| 89(R) | SB 2591 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the purposes for which the Texas Water Development Board may use money in the economically distressed areas account |
| 89(R) | SB 2590 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to grounds for recounting paperless electronic voting system ballots |
| 89(R) | SB 2589 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to procedures for a commissioners court to close, abandon, or vacate certain county roads |
| 89(R) | SB 2588 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the conversion of all or a portion of a municipal sales and use tax originally adopted for the purpose of sports and community venues to a municipal sales and use tax for economic development purposes |
| 89(R) | SB 2587 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the access to and use of certain criminal history record information, to the procedure for obtaining that information, and to the correct terminology for certain licenses the issuance of which requires a criminal history background check |
| 89(R) | SB 2568 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to an exemption from the requirement to obtain a permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for certain dams or reservoirs operated and maintained for the purposes of erosion, floodwater, and sediment control |
| 89(R) | SB 2526 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the eligibility of children enrolled in a special education program for free prekindergarten programs in public schools |
| 89(R) | SB 2502 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the exemption of certain reserve peace officers from regulation as private security personnel |
| 89(R) | SB 2501 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to selection of an attorney by an indigent parent as attorney ad litem for the parent in certain suits affecting the parent-child relationship |
| 89(R) | SB 2500 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to a requirement to report to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation an abandoned or deteriorated water well identified during an inspection of an on-site sewage disposal system |
| 89(R) | SB 2499 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the consideration of compliance with rules of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in approving rates for water or sewer utility services |
| 89(R) | SB 2498 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the participation of certain counties in joint planning in groundwater management areas |
| 89(R) | SB 2497 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the installation of a treatment system by certain public drinking water supply systems |
| 89(R) | SB 2496 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to a study by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Department of State Health Services regarding the human health risks associated with exposure to hydrogen sulfide |
| 89(R) | SB 2445 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to access to criminal history record information by certain legal services providers |
| 89(R) | SB 2444 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the regulation of sanitarians and sanitarians in training |
| 89(R) | SB 2443 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to electronic delivery of documents sent or received by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation |
| 89(R) | SB 2442 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to educational requirements for licensing as an audiologist |
| 89(R) | SB 2441 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the regulation of preproduction plastic by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality |
| 89(R) | SB 2440 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the regulation of code enforcement officers and code enforcement officers in training |
| 89(R) | SB 2439 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the operation of off-highway vehicles |
| 89(R) | SB 2438 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to conditions of community supervision for defendants convicted of certain criminal offenses involving animals |
| 89(R) | SB 2364 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to a grant program to provide salary assistance for judicial and court personnel in rural counties |
| 89(R) | SB 2344 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the placement of telephone corporation facilities in the right-of-way of certain county roads |
| 89(R) | SB 2343 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to online law enforcement reporting systems maintained or operated by or on behalf of a municipality or county |
| 89(R) | SB 2342 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the application for appointment of a guardian and to requiring criminal history record information and other information in connection with the guardianship of a ward or the ward’s estate |
| 89(R) | SB 2341 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the establishment of a grant program to provide financial assistance to counties for transportation assistance to indigent litigants |
| 89(R) | SB 2338 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the award of work-for-time credits to certain persons released on parole or to mandatory supervision |
| 89(R) | SB 2327 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the generation of electric power for sale by a water supply or sewer service corporation |
| 89(R) | SB 2326 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to access to universal changing facilities in places of public accommodation and public buildings |
| 89(R) | SB 2228 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the financial crimes intelligence center |
